This is hilarious. You may remember me posting up photos of some first generation Lexus SCs done up in grand style, like the one above. Well, it seems like they've also been noticed by local police, including Officer "Smith", who blogs the following:

The latest fad to strike the Bay Area is the uncontrollable urge to purchase a Lexus SC300.

Used of course. Preferably pre-1999 vintage. Aged well.

But to simply purchase one is not enough. Next, you must paint the car in some candy color that simply does not belong on a car. We'll say candy grape purple. Then, you have to choose a contrasting color, say bright piss yellow perhaps, in which to paint a large Lexus "L" symbol on both doors because, of course, the rest of us are far too stupid to know the car is a Lexus. To further assist us idiots, please remember to paint a smaller "L" on the rear fenders as an added reminder.

Maybe you could even get personalized plates to the effect of LXS DUBZ, or some such nonsense.

I had myself in stitches by the time I was done reading his post. Best of all, he used the images from this site. Such a small world.

[Source: Officer "Smith"]

We've seen the finished version of the the Fox/Artisan Lexus IS-F that will be displayed at this year's SEMA, and now another has surfaced -- this time it's a work-in-progess by 0-60 Magazine:

So far, the plan looks to be replacing the hood, front fenders, side skirts and the trunk lid with carbon fiber versions, and some custom exhaust work from Greddy, but what I really want to do is highlight just how crazy the IS-F is without its engine cover:

No matter how many times I see the unmasked engine, it still manages to astonish me.

The Fox Marketing/Artisan Performance Lexus IS-F project car scheduled for display at SEMA 2008 has been unveiled early, and brings with it some very exciting news for IS-F owners:

The vehicle will be debuted at SEMA 2008 in Las Vegas alongside 3 other IS-F's from different aftermarket companies. These companies will be showcasing and developing new aftermarket parts for the IS-F. Artisan will be offering an exhaust, intake, pullies and a turbo kit for the IS-F.

Last time we saw this IS-F it was in mid-build, and the finished project doesn't disappoint. The flared-out fenders remind me of the 5Axis IS-F from last year, and the burnt orange exterior and carbon-fiber roof are just fantastic. Very tastefully done. [Via: Club Lexus]

Here's the full gallery:

Every year, the JM Lexus dealership in South Florida sponsors the Lexus/Supra Mega Meet, a two day event set up for enthusiasts to both check out and show off some custom rides.

To mark the occasion, JM Lexus put together a heavily modified IS 350, featuring not only every F-Sport accessory available but also a full reworking of the interior & exterior.

Anthony Barbosa of JM Lexus filled me in on the details:

Originally this project vehicle was designed for the purpose of the Mega Meet and advertising for the dealership. The main goal of this project was to be able to showcase what we here at JM Lexus could do in house...we are excited to be able to make our Lexus customers get their own unique/personalized vehicles all done in house.

What's more, the IS 350 was sold long before it made its Mega Meet debut, selling for a price of $96,000 (!!!). (Of course, looking at the full list of mods minimizes the sticker shock quite a bit.)

For the full effect, Anthony was also kind enough to send me a number of photos, including some taken during the build:

The IS-F will be making Lexus-sponsored appearance at SEMA again this year, this time in collaboration with the Fox Marketing & Artisan Performance.

The person-in-charge of the modified version is Brian Fox, who's been posting photos of the work-in-progress to his CarDomain pageand dropping hints here and there on the direction, including an announcement that Artisan will be releasing an IS-F turbo kit.

Another piece of info I found very interesting was this:

We will help Lexus market, position, and brand the IS-F to appeal to a savvy, European type buyer. Look for our version of the IS-F to debut very soon in the Lexus booth at SEMA Show 2008.

After reading that, my first thought was that we might be looking at more "sleeper"-looking revamp, but from the work visible in Fox's photos, that doesn't look to be the case. One thing's for sure, it's going to fun following along.

The latest Import Tuner has a feature on the VIP'd 1999 Lexus GS 400 pictured above. Here's a basic breakdown:

Using a genuine Junction Produce body kit, including the bumpers, side skirts and rear wing, Johnny added a Ugo roof spoiler and JDM rain guards, chrome door handles and a trunk bar. To highlight the gleaming white paintjob, he painted the roof and part of the trunk black. Lowered to touch the ground, the chassis sits above a set of 20-inch Fabulous Profounds with an offset of +23 in the front and +29 in the back. Falken FK-452 tires stretch around these ridiculously deep dished wheels that tuck perfectly underneath the fenders. These tires avoid tragically rubbing against the car through the use of an Air Runner suspension kit with an eight-valve electric solenoid upgrade-the choice system for VIP cars in Japan.

Really like the contrasting roof, but only because it reminds me of the ES 350 and its panoramic glass. (I had to laugh at the owner's motivation: "My previous car was a Mazda RX-7 and I was tired of being cooped up in it like a coffin and not being able to take my friends out.")